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Can Indian Wells doubles title spark singles success for American John Isner?

There was John Isner, holding the championship trophy for the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, a victory that Isner says helped shape a successful season to come.

No, it wasn't the men's singles trophy Isner was holding 12 months ago. That trophy went to Juan Martin del Potro. Isner had suffered a round-of-64 loss in singles to Gael Monfils in Indian Wells.

But Isner did win the men's doubles title at Indian Wells last year with partner Jack Sock. It was a win that in many ways helped Isner to a stellar 2018 season, including two singles titles, a semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open and a quarterfinals appearance at Wimbledon. The doubles win in the desert is also a win he hopes will provide inspiration as he returns to the desert this week.

"It actually did a lot. Coming into this tournament last year, I had really no results to lean on and look back on. And sure enough, I lost my first singles match, I believe 7-5 in the third to Monfils," Isner said. "That was a tough pill to swallow. The doubles went my way last year playing with Jack, and that really meant everything to me.

"I finally left the tournament feeling good about my game," Isner added.

Isner is back in Indian Wells this week for the 13th time, but his focus now is translating that strong doubles play last year on the courts of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden into success in singles.

"The last match I played here, I won," Isner laughed about the doubles title last year. "Not many people can say that, I guess. It could give me some confidence going in this year. But at the same time, everyone knows how tough this event is and how tough every player is here."

Isner admits his history in the desert is all over the board. He's been tripped up in his first match a few times, but he also reached the 2012 finals, where he fell in straight sets to Roger Federer. Isner enters the week as the No. 9 player in the rankings, hoping to make another deep run rather than another first-match loss.

"There is a big delta in the results I know that I am capable of," Isner said. "I'm capable of doing very good things, but I'm also capable of bowing out early. Hopefully, I do much more of the good stuff this year."

The 6-foot-10 Isner, known for his dominating serve and playing some of the longest matches in the history of the sport, is in generally good form coming to Indian Wells this year. After a surprising four-set loss in the round of 128 at the Australian Open -- a event that Isner has not played well in recent years -- he has reached the semifinals in his lasts three tournaments in New York City, Delray Beach and Acapulco.

A 14-time winner on the ATP including at least two titles in six of his last seven seasons, Isner is 8-5 in matches this year. But the semifinal runs the last few weeks have given Isner the on-court work he believes can help him in Indian Wells.

"My serve is my serve. That is something that is always going to be on my side. It's a big weapon of mine," Isner said. "My matches, as everyone knows, can be inherently close. Playing a lot of matches sort of gets me tougher in those big moments, where the match might come down to a point here or there."

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Jack Sock, left, and John Isner return the ball during the BNP Paribas Open men's doubles final against Mike and Bob Bryan in an all American final on Saturday, March 17, 2018 in Indian Wells.(Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

The 2018 season also provided off-court stories for Isner, whose wife gave birth to the couples' first child, a daughter. It all adds up to a confident and comfortable Isner as the BNP Paribas Open begins.

"Right now, I think I am just in a very good spot, most importantly personally, which leads into the professional side of things," Isner said. "My wife and I having our first kid in 2018 was very special, and on top of that, I played some pretty good tennis in 2018 as well. I've said it before, a lot of players have said it. It definitely puts a lot of perspective on things."